Varied Thrush - there were 13 on the "lawn" (all moss) in front of my house - big groups have been around for several weeks now - I suspect the snow that is visible from the house almost in every direction and has been there for a couple of weeks has driven these birds down some.

Today I also had 2 ORANGE CROWNED WARBLERS and 9 TOWNSENDS WARBLERS come by with a flock of 100 or more bushtits, both Chickadees, RB Nuthatches, both Kinglets, a creeper and a DOWNY WOODPECKER. Winter Wrens are everywhere as are both Song and Fox Sparrows. RAVENS, RT HAWKS and even a BALD EAGLE were playing the winds along the edge of the ridges above me all day long. Massive numbers of PINE SISKINS move up and down the river all day long.

Very birdy here as of late - but now after almost 3 weeks home I'm back to Europe (Paris/Brussels) for work again later in the week. My 3 weeks in Rome in December were fun and I saw some good birds. TENS of THOUSANDS of Starlings were swarming olive trees everywhere and make huge clouds over the city at sunset. I found a Rosy Starling in a wooded piazza near where I was working. I spent almost an entire day watching falcons near the Colloseum and saw GREAT CORMORANTS and Little Egrets fishing in the Tiber - which is also very heavily populated with muskrats.

Good birding to everyone in 2008Rob Conway Preston / Fall City, WAlatitude 47 32' 20" , longitude -121 54' 42" robin_birder at hotmail.com
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